Zelensky’s call came as U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin traveled to Berlin for talks with his newly appointed German counterpart. The Washington Post reports German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has agreed to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine — but only if the United States follows suit. This comes as the Biden administration is set to finalize a military aid package to Ukraine with $2.6 billion worth of additional weaponry, including first-time shipments of Stryker combat vehicles.

Meanwhile, The New York Times reports the Biden administration is considering aiding Ukraine in a military campaign aimed at retaking the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia has occupied since 2014, even if such a move increases the risk of escalating the war.